Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Everyone seems to have an opinion when it comes to what exactly makes for the best grilled cheese sandwich. Do you slather the bread with butter or mayo? Do you double up on cheese or go for a single slice? Do you start with a hot griddle or a cold skillet?

Life is full of questions. Do we really have to turn making a sandwich into a war of do’s and don’ts? You could sous vide it for all I care, just as long as the end result doesn’t lose an ounce of its ooey-gooey appeal. And ooey-gooey appeal is one thing this grown-up grilled cheese sandwich is not lacking.

This recipe, which stars tangy caramelized balsamic onions, was a custom creation for Joanna Goddard, a fellow blogger who asked if I’d share my take on an easy weeknight meal on her popular blog, A Cup of Jo. I was thrilled to dream up this spin on a classic grilled cheese, which has become my go-to dinner on nights when there’s no time for the slow cooker and no patience for takeout. And in the spirit of no rules, I will refrain from telling you what else you could tuck between those two toasty slices of bread. (Cough … bacon … cough … avocado.)

For the grilled cheese:

Instructions

Make the caramelized onions:

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the sugar and continue cooking the onions for 5 more minutes.

Add the balsamic vinegar and reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking the onions, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes until they are very soft and dry.

Assemble the grilled cheese:

Slather one side of all four slices of bread with the butter and set them aside.

Assemble one of the grilled cheese sandwiches by stacking one slice of cheese atop one slice of bread (the non-buttered side) and topping it with half the caramelized onions, half the kale leaves and a second slice of cheese. Top it with another buttered slice of bread (buttered side on top). Repeat the assembly process for the second grilled cheese sandwich.

Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Place each sandwich on the skillet and cook until the bread is toasted and golden and the cheese begins to melt. Flip each sandwich once and continue cooking until the opposite side of bread is toasted. Slice and serve immediately.

Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.